'My son is generous, has made it on his own': Exclusive with Himachal CM Sukhu's mother

"My husband drove buses, trucks, and taxis at the time. We were six people, with our 4 children, and it was difficult. But we always shared things, food. We managed," Sansar Dei said, as she kept getting distracted to steal a look at her son on the TV screen every 30 seconds.

Hamirpur(Himachal Pradesh):With Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu taking on as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, his mother Sansar Dei was glued to the television at her village in Hamirpur. The old woman, joyous and proud at the achievements of her son, recalled the tough times when poverty had grappled Sukhu's family as he was trying hard to steer through the adversities even as a teen.

Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat as she sat right in front of the television in her house full of villagers, Sansar Dei said she is waiting to see her son sworn in as the Chief Minister since morning. "I am waiting to see him since morning, sitting right here. I had never thought he would become the CM. I have not spoken to him in a while since he is busy. I was very happy to hear the news that he is going to be the next CM," she said.

Speaking about the olden days, Sukhu's mother said that her husband was a driver, and the situations were not at their best while Sukhvinder was growing up. "My husband drove buses, trucks, and taxis at the time. We were six people, with our 4 children, and it was difficult. But we always shared things, food. We managed," Sansar Dei said, as she kept getting distracted to steal a look at her son on the TV screen every 30 seconds.

"Gareebi hatati nahi, hatani padti hain (Poverty doesn't just go away, it has to be removed)," said Sansar Dei when asked about how she and her family survived the poverty. "We were poor but we worked hard. We shared a single roti among the 6 of us on some days, but we never stopped working. My son was always generous. He fed and helped people whenever he could," she said, affirming her unquestionable belief in her son's capabilities to serve the people of her state.

Sukhvinder Singh, who entered politics at the tender age of 17, was a rebel as a child and a youngster if his mother is to be believed. "He never wanted to do a job. We asked him to study. He even got a lot of beating from me for this. But he was into politics since the very beginning... never listened to anyone," she said with a nostalgic laughter.

"But he has made it all on his own today. He needed no one's support. The schools in the village were not good at the time. But he managed to still ace at whatever he set his mind to. I have been a strict mother, but my blessings have always been with him," Sansar Dei said.

Sukhu's career as a politician dates back to his college days, when at the age of 17, he joined the Congress's student wing, National Students' Union of India. The four-time MLA is a prominent Rajput face in the state, and comes from a humble background. The youngest sibling in the family and now a father of two daughters, Sukhu's family is proud as he took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.